Brandon Marshall condemns MetLife Stadium turf for ending his career after the wideout there in 2017 broke the deltoid of his left ankle
- Marshall said ‘a lot of players’ complain about this turf…it really ruins careers’
- The 39-year-old has not played in the NFL since 2018, but is open to a return to the Jets
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Brandon Marshall, one of the strongest wide receivers out there, has insisted that the turf at MetLife Stadium – home of the New York Giants and the Jets – is no good, blaming it for ending the game early his NFL career.
Marshall, 39, told Dr. Mike — a doctor who discusses sports-related injuries on his YouTube channel with 10.9 million subscribers — that he could have extended his career if artificial turf had not been installed in 14 NFL stadiums.
“I broke my deltoid, freaking peat, oh my god I knew it was over,” he said in January, referring to the injury he suffered against the LA Chargers on Oct. 8, 2017, while playing for the Giants.
This piece ended my career. There are a lot of players complaining about this turf… it really ruins careers,” added Marshall. “That was pretty much the last of me, I felt like I could have played for a few more years, but that piece was over.”
Brandon Marshall, 39, blames turf at MetLife stadium for cutting his NFL career short
Marshall broke the deltoid muscle of his left ankle – a career-ending injury – against the Chargers in 2017 at MetLife Stadium in his lone season with the New York Giants
MetLife Stadium and 13 other NFL venues have adopted artificial turf for their teams to play on
Marshall joined the Giants in 2017 after two years with the Jets. In 2016, he finished the year with 109 receptions on 174 targets for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns.
That was a historic season for both the players and the Jets franchise, as Marshall set new single-season records for receiving yards and receptions while tying the record for receiving touchdowns with Art Powell and Don Maynard.
What’s more is that in 2015 he ranked among the top five NFL wide receivers in goals, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns and was named to his sixth Pro Bowl. Marshall was also ranked 25th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 by his peer.
But after breaking the deltoid ligament in his left ankle in 2017, it’s been tough for Marshall to find success as he played just six more NFL games in 2018 with the Seattle Seahawks before being cut.
Marshall isn’t the only NFL player to speak out on the MetLife Stadium turf, with Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard suffering a season-ending ACL injury on the field last year. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa tore his ACL in the same location against the Jets in 2020.
Marshall was a six-time Pro Bowler who had success with the Jets but not the Giants
The Giants will now play on a new artificial turf next season, following an increasing number of complaints about the condition of the field during the 2022-23 season.
“The players are vocal and clear on this issue and hearing them that change is needed is a good step,” the NFLPA said in a statement to ESPN last year.
However, the change will not come soon enough for players who are more at risk for the rest of the season. We expect any surface installed next year to meet the highest possible safety and performance standards.”
Marshall, who has totaled 12,351 yards and 83 touchdowns in his 13 years in the NFL, isn’t ruling out a comeback with the team where he’s had the most success: the Jets.
In May, he said he would put on a “Gang Green” jersey if Aaron Rodgers wanted him to retire.